


From a Small Seed

by Jimena



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Character Study, Ficlet Collection, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, critical prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-09-05 14:06:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16812157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jimena/pseuds/Jimena
Summary: Prompt fills for Critical Role, mostly campaign 2





	1. Prompt #0000- Backed up to the edge of the cliff (Beauregard & Nott)

**Author's Note:**

> Decided to give the prompts over at criticalprompts on Tumblr a try. Won't be doing 'em daily, but anything I fill for that will get dumped in here. If ya'll want to see anything specific from the prompts over there, give them a look and feel free to let me know. I'll see what I can do. Otherwise, I'll just post as I see fit (and as I get free time). Criticalprompts is run by bboiseux, so check them out if you have the time and inclination.

Backed up to the edge of the cliff, Beau knew her only option was to jump. She glanced over her shoulder at the rough sea below and the jagged rocks surrounded by foam. This was a terrible idea. Beau glanced down and held out her hand. “Do you trust me?”

Nott snuck a brief look away from the bristling ring of spears advancing towards them, her ears twitching at the roar of water crashing against the rocks below. “No,” she said, and Beau couldn’t help the warm feeling in her chest as Nott slipped her hand into hers anyway.

“On three, yeah?” She watched Nott’s eyes widen and looked up to see a dozen arrows now pointed their way. It seemed the commander had grown tired of their interference in his plans and had decided to end the problem. Permanently.

Beau readied herself. She could maybe catch half of them if she was lucky. If she wasn’t—

“Three!” Nott yelled as the twang of arrows being released reached her ears. Beau felt a heavy weight hit her legs, and she quickly grabbed onto Nott as they both went toppling over the edge.

She only had a moment to send up a brief prayer to whatever gods might be listening that they wouldn’t smash against the rocks below before they hit the water hard.

The current sent them tumbling head over heels, and Nott was ripped from her arms. The freezing cold constricted Beau’s chest like a vice, and she instinctively tried to take a breath, choking as nothing but seawater entered her lungs. She kicked for the surface, but she wasn’t entirely sure where the surface even _was_ , and she felt her limbs weakening by the second.

Well shit, what a stupid way to die. She hoped Nott had made it at least.

Just before the world went black, she felt a hand grab hers and _pull_.

* * *

She woke up coughing, rolling onto her hands and knees to expel what felt like every last bit of water from her lungs and then a lung itself for good measure.

Beau felt a hand hesitantly pat her on the back and looked over with bleary eyes to see Nott standing over her looking like nothing more than a drowned rat.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like I swallowed the ocean,” Beau croaked out as her coughing fit finally subsided.

“You kind of did,” Nott pointed out. She shuffled her feet almost nervously. “Uhhh, sorry, but I kind of had to give you mouth to mouth for a bit.”

“Gods, I am so glad I was unconscious for that,” Beau groaned, shifting into a sitting position with her back against the rocks. “No offense,” she said with a quick glance over.

Nott flashed a toothy grin. “None taken.” She settled into a crouch beside her.

“How’d you even manage all that, by the way?” Beau asked, gesturing towards the sea when Nott only looked confused.

Nott held up one hand and wiggled her fingers, setting the rings on them glinting in the faint light of the setting sun. “Can walk on water, remember?”

Oh, right.

After a few moments of companionable silence, Beau bumped her arm against Nott’s shoulder. “Thanks.”

Nott tilted her head to the side. “For what?”

_For trusting me. For saving my life._ But she couldn’t get the words out, her tongue suddenly thick in her mouth. “For jumping off a cliff with me,” she settled for. “Always wanted to do that.”

Nott snorted. “What are friends for?” She held out her flask, and Beau got the impression she’d understood exactly what she was trying to say. “Drink? Gods know I need one or twelve after that.”

Beau took it with a grin. What were friends for, indeed.


	2. Prompt #0010- Hogwarts Sorting AU (Jester & Fjord & Beau)

Fjord was positively green as he made his way up to the Sorting Hat, and Jester flashed him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. She took it as a good sign when he grinned back weakly before pulling the hat down over his head.

“Five sickles says Hufflepuff,” Beau said quietly, leaning in from her spot in line behind her.

Jester raised one eyebrow. “You really think so?”

Beau shrugged one shoulder. “Yeah, why not? He seemed like a nice enough sort on the train. That’s what Hufflepuff’s about, innit?”

Jester shook her head minutely. “Didn’t you pay any attention to the hat’s song?”

“Not really much point. Whole family’s been Gryffindor for centuries. It’s literally in the name: _Lionett_. No question where I’ll end up, no matter what a stupid song says.” She shrugged again, and Jester got the impression that she wasn’t exactly thrilled by that prospect. “So you gonna take the bet or what?”

Jester tapped one finger against her cheek, considering what little she knew of the boy who was now fidgeting on the stool as the hat took its time deciding. “I’ll bet...Slytherin,” she said finally.

Beau looked surprised. “Really?” she asked. “What makes you―”

“SLYTHERIN!” the hat called out, interrupting her.

Jester laughed and clapped enthusiastically as Fjord walked to his new table on shaky legs. An older boy with a mischievous grin and a bright shock of purple hair immediately pulled him into the seat beside him and shoved a cup of pumpkin juice into his hands. He shot her a wink when he caught her looking before turning his attention back to the next student walking up to the Sorting Hat.

The line moved forward, and Jester held a hand out behind her, grinning as Beau grumbled and slipped her a few coins. “Any other bets?” she asked sweetly.

“I’ll keep what’s left of my money, thanks,” Beau responded drily, though she cracked a grin when Jester giggled.

Soon enough it was Jester’s turn, and she was almost thrumming with excitement as she hopped up onto the stool and placed the hat on her head. The world went dark, and the low murmurs of students talking quietly to one another faded away.

_Oh, you’re a clever one, aren’t you?_ a smooth voice whispered in her head.

Jester grinned. _Yep!_

Something almost like a chuckle brushed the back of her mind. _You want to be a healer, hmmm? Hufflepuff has always produced good healers._

Jester made a face. She did want to be a healer, that was true, but loyalty and hard work didn’t sound like much fun.

_No? That’s alright then._ Another chuckle. _For what it’s worth, Hufflepuff doesn’t seem like quite the right fit to me either, but if you had really wanted it...Well, no matter. Let’s see…_

Jester hummed to herself as the Sorting Hat continued rifling through her head.

_Plenty of courage, that’s certainly not in question, and not a bad mind either._ There was a pause, and Jester got the impression that if a hat could somehow shake its head, it would. _But with that cleverness and cunning better be_ SLYTHERIN!

Jester grinned as the hall burst into applause. _Thank you_ she thought, tugging the hat slightly. Her mother had raised her to be polite, even if she wasn’t sure what the proper etiquette was for thanking a magical inanimate object.

There was a sensation almost like a pat on the head. _I expect you to be running the house in a few years. Make us proud, my dear, and try not to cause_ too _much trouble._

Jester laughed. _No promises._ With that, she pulled the hat off and skipped to her seat, sliding in beside Fjord who looked noticeably less green now that his ordeal was over.

“Congrats,” he said smoothly, holding out his hand.

Jester pulled him into a hug instead. “Congrats, yourself! Look at us, together again!” They didn’t have long to talk before the headmistress called Beau’s name, and they both turned to watch their companion from the train.

Across the hall, Beau squared her shoulders and marched straight up to the Sorting Hat and plopped it on her head without even sitting down, as if she just wanted to get the inevitable over with as quickly as possible.

“Think she’ll end up with us too?” Fjord asked quietly.

“Nah, she’s a shoe-in for Gryffindor,” the older boy next to Fjord interjected, looking bored. He waved one hand dismissively. “She’s a Lionett, isn’t she? That’s where they all end up.”

Jester eyed him, taking stock of the purple hair and mischievous glint to his eyes. She decided she liked him immediately. “Care to make a bet?” she asked with a wink.

“Oh no,” Fjord breathed as the boy grinned widely.

“How much are we talking?”

“Say five sickles?”

“You’re on.” He held out both hands, one each for Jester and Fjord. “The name’s Mollymauk, Molly to my friends.”

“Are we friends?” Fjord muttered, but he shook his hand anyway.

“But of course. I don’t make bets with just anyone.”

RAVENCLAW!

They all turned at the shout to see Beau remove the hat with a white-knuckled grip and a scowl.

Jester grabbed Molly’s hand and gave it a firm shake as he stared in shock. “It is very nice to meet you, Molly. I’ll take my money by cash or cheque.”

Molly laughed, shaking his head as he dug around in his pockets, and Jester kept an eye on Beau as she sat down gingerly on the very edge of the Ravenclaw table as they clapped politely.

Jester waved until she got her attention, elbowing Fjord in the side to do the same. When she finally looked up, they both shot her a grin and a thumbs up.

They were rewarded with a shaky grin that was interrupted by a cat plopping down in front of Beau loudly demanding to be pet, which she obliged after a moment's confusion.

Jester returned her attention to the few students left to sort with a smile, swinging her feet against the bench as Fjord leaned against her and Molly counted out her winnings on the table. It was going to be a great year; she could feel it.


	3. Prompt #0013- There had never been a dog in the Lavish Chateau before (Marion Lavorre & Nugget)

There had never been a dog in the Lavish Chateau before (well except that _one_ time when Jester was much younger, but no one at the Chateau spoke of that incident except in hushed tones in the broad light of day). As she stared at the wreckage strewn about her quarters, Marion Lavorre was beginning to understand why.

The blankets from her bed were strewn across the room, and it looked like at least one of her good feather pillows had exploded. Her dressing table was on its side, makeup and jewelry scattered to all four corners of the room. One curtain above the window was torn completely off, and the other looked like the slightest breeze from outside might send it flying away. Stray pages from what looked like the book of poetry she’d been looking forward to reading that night littered the bed and the floor. And in the middle of the mess that had once been her sanctuary lay a wriggling puppy happily chewing on the left foot of her favorite pair of slippers.

Marion Lavorre was not a woman who was prone to swearing. Instead she let out a long breath that in anyone less refined might have been called a sigh. “Well, you’ve certainly been...busy,” she said once the initial shock had worn off. Her wardrobe at least still looked secure and intact, and Marion thanked the gods for small miracles.

Nugget leapt to his feet and trotted over, still brandishing the slipper.

Marion knelt. “Give that here, please?” She asked, holding out her hand, but the puppy stayed just out of reach and just stared at her expectantly as his tail wagged back and forth so fast that it was nearly a blur.

“No, no, no,” Marion said, trying to put a stern note in her voice. “We are not playing that game.” She made a quick move to grab the slipper, but the puppy darted away before sinking into a bow and growling playfully. “Or maybe we are,” Marion allowed, unable to keep a fond smile off her face.

She dove forward, hand just closing around the nape of Nugget’s neck as he tried to duck away once more.“Hah!” she exclaimed, holding onto him triumphantly. She only had a moment to savor her victory before there was a brief flash of light and the puppy proceeded to tear into the one remaining pillow on her bed a few feet way.

Right. Her daughter had bought a _blink_ puppy.

Marion straightened with a frown, trying to recall what shat little she knew of blink dogs. “Home?” she tried, remembering the few instructions Jester had sprinkled into their all-too-brief conversations before she’d left again.

The dog’s ears perked up, and he looked up at her as if he at least recognized the word.

“Home,” she repeated more firmly, pointing at the floor in front of her for good measure.

The puppy just whined, glancing around the room with a hopeful expression before blinking out of sight.

Marion heard a crash from the next room over, and her eyes widened. She dashed to Jester’s room and threw open the door.

From atop the bed, Nugget barked and pawed at the pillow, a confused expression on his face.

Marion picked Nugget up carefully, holding him to her chest as the puppy whined. “Oh, love, I miss her too, but she’ll be back soon enough, I’m sure.” If she repeated the assurance enough times, it might even be true. She brought a hand to the blue gem at her throat.

“Hello Mama!” a bright, familiar voice cut into her thoughts, almost as if summoned by her wishful thinking. “I just wanted to see how you and Nugget are doing and to tell you that we aren’t pirates anymore. It’s a long—”

The message cut off, and Marion smiled fondly as she carefully prepared her own message back, waiting until she could sense the magic almost fading in case Jester decided to send more than one message. It happened frequently enough, but tonight it seemed like her daughter only had the energy for one. Marion didn’t want to think about what that might mean.

“I’m so pleased to hear from you. Nugget and I are well, but we both miss you terribly.” There was so much more she would like to say, but she knew by now that Jester’s spell could only convey the simplest sentiments, so she settled for, “Be safe, my little Sapphire. Sleep well.”

A warm tongue licked her cheek, and Marion chuckled as she wiped her eyes. She held the puppy up and tapped him on the nose.

“Well, Nugget, let’s go see about cleaning up that mess you made, hmmm?”

Nugget barked happily and squirmed out of her grasp, racing for her room in a mad dash.

Marion took a moment to straighten up the bed, fingers lingering on the unicorns Jester had carved into the bedframe years ago before following the puppy at a more sedate pace. With one last glance backwards, she shut the door firmly behind her.


	4. Prompt # 0044- Feed the Birds (Caduceus & Beau)

Caduceus let out a cheery whistle as the sparrow alighted on the edge of his hand and tilted its head at him curiously.

“Hello, my friend,” Caduceus greeted it, inclining his head. His mother had always said it was important to be polite, even to—no, _especially_ to creatures who didn’t speak themselves. He made sure to keep his hand full of seed perfectly still, “I’m sure you’ve noticed that winter is just around the corner. I thought you might appreciate a bit of extra food.”

The bird hopped to his thumb, fluttering its wings for balance as it let out a short trill that was echoed back from the trees all around the small clearing.

“Yes, yes, your friends are quite welcome to help themselves as well,” Caduceus reassured the bird. “I brought more than enough for everyone.”

Soon enough, his hands were covered in what looked to be an small flock of sparrows, chattering and squabbling over food as family was wont to do.

Caduceus’ ears twitched at the sound of brush shifting behind him, and the birds scattered in a whirl of feathers and shrill alarm calls.

“What are you doing?”

Caduceus smiled and brushed the remaining seed off his hands. It seemed he’d attracted another wild animal instead, one that required just as much patience and steady calm to lure out of hiding. He patted the ground beside him in invitation.

Beau made no move to join him. “That wasn’t an answer.”

“ _We_ ,” Caduceus answered, “are feeding the birds.”

Beau glanced around the now empty clearing, shoulders hunching slightly. “Think I scared them off. Sorry.”

“They’ll be back.” Caduceus leaned his head back and closed his eyes, enjoying the dappled sunshine across his face. He wondered what he should try and cook that evening. They’d picked up some nice fruits at the market in town, and he was excited to see what he could do with them.

A heavy sigh, then Beau plopped on the ground beside him.

Peace fell across the clearing, and Caduceus breathed deeply, listening to the whisper of wind passing through the leaves overhead and the calls of distant birds. Yes, a fruit salad sounded quite lovely, perhaps with a nice vinaigrette. He was quite sure he could whip up something that would suffice.

Beau shifted restlessly. “Soooo, feeding birds, huh? Am I supposed to be doing something then? Because right now this just feels like meditation.”

Caduceus cracked one eye open. “Mmm, it is quite soothing, isn’t it?”

Beau shot him a glare. “I’m terrible at meditating.”

“Yes,” Caduceus agreed placidly, “You are.” He gestured for Beau to hold out her hand and poured some mixed seeds and berries into her palm when she warily complied. “Meditation is about stillness of body and mind.” He shrugged one shoulder. “You are more stooping falcon than basking turtle.”

A beat of silence, then Beau huffed a quiet laugh. “I’ve been spending too much time around you and Jester,” she muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose with her free hand. “That almost made sense.”

Caduceus hummed, pleased.“It is not a bad thing, to be a falcon. You like birds, do you not?”

“Well, yeah,” Beau said like it was obvious. “They’re loud, obnoxious, and don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks about them. Why wouldn’t I?”

Caduceus smiled. “Why indeed?” He nodded his head towards a nearby bush where a pair of bright beady eyes watched them. “Look, here they come.”

Beau almost seemed to hold her breath as the sparrow hopped closer and closer until it fluttered up to perch on the tip of her finger. It stole a seed and quickly flew off again, and Beau turned to him with a bright grin that he echoed back.

Yes, there was a certain clarity and purpose in a falcon’s dive, but there was peace in stillness too. Caduceus pulled out his own handful of seed from the pouch in his lap and watched the birds descend.


End file.
